The Heart of Kairi
by Shadows of Raven
Summary: [Oneshot]Kairi falls fatally ill, and Mickey knows of only one person who might be able to save her... a certain evil sorceress. But how much is Sora willing to sacrifice for Kairi? SoraxKairi R


**The Heart of Kairi**

Sora's POV 

Sunlight leaked into my room. My eyes slowly slid open and I sat up in my bed, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. My messy brown hair fell into my hair, and I blew it out of my blue eyes. I slid out of bed and dressed into my usual attire. I 'tidied' my hair and went downstairs for breakfast.

Riku was there. His face was stern and his emerald eyes were sad. My mom and dad were standing behind him, equally as sad. "Uh, hey everyone… what's up?" I inquired.

"Sora," Riku began. "It's Kairi…"

"What about Kairi?" I asked, a worried expression flashing across my face.

"Son… just don't worry," my dad said.

"What is it?" I demanded.

"She's dying…" Riku looked at the floor. "This morning when she woke up her head was hurting to the point where her motion, vision and thinking was deranged and she has a high fever. The doctors on the island can figure out what it is…"

My world crashed in around me. _Kairi_, I thought, hot tears coming to my eyes. I wasn't as strong as Riku, who could just sit there calmly. Kairi was my best friend next to Riku, and after all we had been through my feelings for her were greater than ever. Her long red hair and beautiful blue eyes got to me every time… I couldn't imagine a world without Kairi.

"Well why are we just standing here!" I demanded, wiping tears from my eyes. "Where is she?"

"Sora, there's nothing we can do," Riku got up and put his hand on my shoulder.

"You're wrong Riku! There's always something we can do! Now where is she!" I cried once more.

Riku sighed. "Follow me," he said and led me outside, where our bikes were. We rode to the Islands Hospital. Luckily, Kairi's mother had demanded that we be able to see her if we were to come.

"No…" I whispered. Kairi was in bed, sleeping. Her breaths were sparse and ragged and she was ghostly pale.

"It's too late, Sora," Riku said from behind me.

"Kairi," tears ran down my face as I knelt by her bed. I put my face by hers and put my arms around her. "Don't die, Kairi, you can't die… please…"

"Hurry up, Donald!" a voice said from behind me.

"I'm coming Goofy!" Donald cried. I turned around and saw Donald, Goofy and Mickey coming into the door.

"We came as soon as we heard! Sora, is she alright?" Mickey asked.

I shook my head, wiping the tears from my eyes.

_Roxas' POV_

"Naminé!" I cried, tears flowing from my eyes.

"I'm so weak Roxas," she gasped.

"You can't die, Naminé!" I shouted. "Don't give up…"

"Please, Roxas, there's nothing you can do," she smiled and her eyes closed.

"Naminé…"

_Sora's POV_

I sat next to Kairi on her bed, with her cold hand in mine. She couldn't die… she just couldn't.

"Sora," Mickey said. "Come with me, there might be someone who can save Kairi…"

"Who?" I asked, jumping to my feet and wiping my face.

"If she's willing to or not is a different situation…"

"Will Kairi stay alive until we get back?" I asked.

"Donald, Riku, use Curaga on her until we get back… that should keep her alive," Mickey ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Donaly saluted. "But where are you going?"

Mickey sighed. "To Hollow Bastion…"

"You mean…?" Goofy asked.

Mickey nodded and pulled me out of the hospital. "Now she may not help, so please Sora, understand," the King said. After awhile he added: "You love her, don't you Sora?"

I gulped down another bout of tears. "Yes, I do," I admitted. "And I couldn't live without Kairi… I promised I would come back for her and that I'd be there for her… and we promised Roxas and Naminé that we would keep them together. I have to save her, Mickey."

"If that's how you really feel, Sora, then Kairi will live, I promise," Mickey said. "Oh, here we are," he pointed to a small crater in the ground from which smoke was coming. "Goofy needs to work on those landings," he sighed. He led me over to the crater.

"The Gummi Ship!" I exclaimed.

"Yep, now c'mon," he said. We hopped in with Mickey steering. Had it really been two years since I had last been in this ship? It seemed like just yesterday Riku and I had defeated Xemnas and the rest of Organization XIII… I remembered when we had gotten home… the sweet look on Kairi's face. _Don't think about her,_ I told myself. _It'll only make things worse. _

We steered through space until we reached Hollow Bastion… and we landed.

"Who is we're going to see?" I asked again. Mickey ignored my question and led me to… _Oh no_, I thought. _He can't be serious!_ But Mickey didn't stop, and marched right into that dark, evil castle.

We walked into the middle of the dark throne room and Mickey cried: "Maleficent! Come out!"

"Mickey!" I hissed. "You've gotta be joking. I mean, Maleficent of all people? What about Yen Cid or Merlin?"

Mickey shook his head. "Maleficent is the only one with enough magic and knowledge to know… I'm sorry Sora…"

"Did someone call my name?" a wicked and all too familiar voice asked icily. Shadows gathered in front of us, and the tall figure of a woman appeared before us. She had pale green skin and rose lips, and her eyes were small and evil.

I readied myself… I hadn't used my Keyblade in awhile except for when I was practicing with Riku, but I was sure I was strong enough to take her. A light glowed in my hands and the Ultimate Keyblade materialized in my hand.

"Put it away, Sora," Mickey ordered.

"But…"

"Just, relax," he assured. Reluctantly, I got out of my ready position, but I kept the Keyblade in my hand. _How can I put Kairi's life in the hands of this witch? _I thought.

"What do you seek?" Maleficent asked coldly.

"Sora's friend, Kairi is dying, Maleficent," Mickey explained.

"And why should I care? The Seventh Princess is dying… I see no reason why I should tell you how to stop it," she snapped.

I sucked in my pride. "Please, Maleficent, I'll do anything just so that Kairi will be OK," I looked at her, and fought back the tears in my eyes. Maleficent swept closer to me and bent down, taking my face in her cold, clawed hands.

"You love this girl, Sora?" she asked.

I nodded slowly.

She released me and I gasped as if my breath had left me. "What are you willing to sacrifice for love?"

"Anything," I repeated.

"Your life?" she raised her thin eyebrows.

I thought. "Yes."

She smirked. "I will make a deal with you, Sora. If I tell you how to cure your friend, you will become my servant… forever."

"NO!" Mickey thundered. "Maleficent your price is too high!"

"If that's the only way…" I trailed off.

"Sora, think, what good is it for you to cure Kairi if you have to work for Maleficent?"

"She'll be alive," I whispered.

"I won't let you do this, Sora. Another deal, Maleficent," Mickey answered firmly.

"Very well then. You will complete a simple task for me," she said. "Simple, but important. Then I will tell you the secret to curing your friend… although you may loseyourself in the process."

I nodded. "I'm willing to sacrifice for Kairi," I said. "What do you want me to do?"

"There is an object of my interest that is currently being held by the one called Sephiroth. It is called the Rose Tome. Fetch it for me, and I will give you the secret," she said simply.

"What does thisTome do?" Mickey asked.

"Ah, you are the same wise King you always were. Sephiroth stole theRose Tomefrom me years ago because he was told it held ancient powers of the Keyblade. He has been obsessed with it since he took it from me. Whether or not he has unlocked its secrets or not, I do not know. But I do know that taking it from him may be slightly… difficult," Maleficent informed them.

"And that's it?" I asked.

"Of course," the witch replied.

"I beat Sephiroth once, I'll beat him again… for Kairi," I said firmly. "Where is he?"

"You will find him on the cliff overlooking Hollow Bastion," Maleficent replied. "Now go, before I change my mind about helping your friend!"

"Thank you Maleficent," I began.

"GO!"

Mickey and I turned around and ran out of her castle. Finding Sephiroth wasn't hard; he was exactly where Maleficent had said, overlooking Hollow Bastion.

He spoke without turning around: "What do you want?"

"We seek the Rose Tome," Mickey answered.

He turned his head. "Why?"

"Please, Sephiroth," I began. "My friend is dying and we need it or Maleficent won't help us!"

Sephiroth laughed and turned around. "Ah, it's you…"

"Yeah, it's me and unless you wanna get your butt kicked again give me the book!" I demanded, getting into ready position.

"I have no wish to fight you again, Keyblade Wielder. You have proven your worth once, but I will not so willingly relinquish the Rose Tome." He waved his hand and Mickey went flying into a cliff.

"Mickey!"

Sephiroth grinned and a shimmering wall enclosed us.

"I thought you didn't want to fight!" I cried.

"I don't, but I want to strike a bargain and I don't want the King listening to us," he replied.

I gritted my teeth. "What do you want?"

He walked over to me and scrutinized me. "I want the Keyblade," he said simply.

"No, you wouldn't be able to use it anyway," I answered firmly.

"Ha ha, smart boy… very well then. You will give me a piece of your soul and I will give you the Rose Tome," Sephiroth smiled evilly.

_A piece of my soul!_ _What will that do to Roxas? But Kairi… _I thought for minutes, not knowing what to do. I had to save Kairi, but what if it hurt Roxas and what would it do to me? But without Kairi my life wasn't worth living… I had said I would sacrifice for her.

Slowly I answered, "Fine."

"Excellent. Now if we could just shake on it…" he reached his hand out.

_Once I shake his hand, there's no turning back… _Reluctantly, I reached out and grasped Sephiroth's hand.

Pain seared through my body. I felt to my knees and screamed as a thousand needles pierced my skin. An ethereal silver mist crept from my hand around Sepiroth's and into him. A piece of my soul. Sephiroth laughed madly as my strength left me. I had to get through this… for Kairi…

_Roxas' POV_

Excruciating pain engulfed me as I fell to my knees at Naminé's side. What was happening to me? I felt horribly weak and as if though a piece of me was missing… What had Sora done?

_Sora's POV_

Sephiroth broke our shake and I collapsed, gasping for breath. I felt weak and sick, but I had gotten through… for Kairi. I felt emptiness in my heart from where Sephiroth had taken part of my soul. I coughed out a few words: "There… you have it, now give me the Tome."

"What? Oh yes, here's your book," Sephiroth grinned. "Although carrying it may be a strain for you," he laughed and vanished, and where he had stood a book lay on the ground. It was bound by white leather and golden letters were written across the top of the cover. In the center of the cover was a ruby shaped into a rose.

Mickey ran over to me. "Sora, are you OK?" he asked.

"Uhn… I think so, c'mon let's get this stupid book back to Maleficent," I struggled to my feet and my knees shook.

A soft breeze blew throughout Hollow Bastion and the book's pages flipped open to around the center.

"What's this?" Mickey fell to his knees and read to Sora. "Don't you see, Sora? Maleficent didn't need this book! She sent us to get it so that we could save Kairi! But why?"

"Who cares, Kairi's going to live!" I exclaimed weakly.

"Do you know what you have to do?" Mickey asked.

I nodded. "Good," he answered and supported me back to the Gummi Ship.

We arrived at the islands and ran as fast as we could to the hospital (which wasn't that fast on accord of missing part of my soul).

"Look, we know what to do!" Mickey cried, but my spirit fell. Everyone was crowded around Kairi, with dark looks on their face.

"W—what happened?" I stuttered.

"I'm sorry, Sora," Riku wiped his face. "She's gone…"

"What?" I felt like dying. "No… she can't be, move out of the way!" I pushed everyone away despite my weakness and my tears fell onto her cold body. "Mickey… would it still work?"

"It might," Mickey admitted. "Try it."

I nodded and I put one of my hands on Kairi's chest and the other on mine, closed my eyes and spoke. "Return to us Kairi… by the will of the hearts around us… by the strength of my soul," I paused and felt a bout of nausea and weakness as a small sliver of silvery mist crawled into the air around Kairi. "By the love of your heart," I paused again as a pink gas rose and mixed with the mist. "Be restored!" I cried. There was flash of blinding silver and pink light that was so fierce it shook the islands. I was knocked off my feet, but I knew it had succeeded, despite my weakness. When the light faded, a Keyblade floated above Kairi.

"Behold, The Heart of Kairi!" I cried and grasped it with all my strength. "Come back to us, Kairi!" Silver and pink light poured from the Keyblade and bathed Kairi's body. _It had to work… I had sacrificed most of my soul for this… Please let it work._ _Yes!_ Kairi's body stirred, and the readings on the machine showed her heart beating. "Kairi!" I gasped as her beautiful blue eyes fluttered open. The light recoiled back in the Keyblade and it disappeared from my hand. I fell to Kairi's side and whispered into her ear: "I love you, Kairi."

Kairi smiled weakly at me. "Thank you Sora, I love you too." Then she pulled me in and brushed her soft lips over mine. We completely ignored the people around us as we locked in our kiss, but at last, reluctantly, Kairi pulled away from me and sat up in her bed. I blushed slightly.

I still felt weak and took a seat on her bed.

"Well, you did it, Sora," Riku laughed.

"Yay!" Donald exclaimed.

"Gawrsh Sora, how'd you do it?" Goofy asked.

"I… I dunno. Maleficent helped me…" I ran my fingers through my messy brown hair.

"Maleficent?" everyone cried at the same time.

"Yes, I helped you," a cold female voice said from behind us. We looked and saw Maleficent standing there. "I did it because you destroyed Organization XIII, but we are not quite even. You have lost much of your soul, Sora, and you have lost part of your heart, Kairi. I will fulfill my debt to you for destroying my enemies." She swept over to us and the others got out of her way, avoiding the ice-cold glare of her crow.

Only Riku got in the way. "How can we trust you?" he demanded.

"Please, Riku, Maleficent has helped us in the past, just once more…" I smiled weakly at my friend.

"Give me the Heart of Kairi," she demanded, putting her hand out.

"What? But you can't use a Keyblade…"

"Give it to me, or you will both die shortly from the lack of your souls," she answered firmly.

Reluctantly, I put my hand out, and The Heart of Kairi Keyblade appeared… the Keyblade I had just made and used to save Kairi. Maleficent took it. "This Keyblade is the most powerful I have ever felt… it was forged by the Master Wielder's soul and the Seventh Princess' heart… it could wipe out an army of Heartless by itself," she savored the power. "But… what good would it be if the only two people who could use it were dead?" She held it tightly in her clawed hands and muttered something. Her black robe flew around her and the silver and pink light poured from it into Kairi and I. I gasped as the rest of my soul was assimilated into me… even the part that was taken by Sephiroth. I was whole again… but darkness overtook Kairi and I. The last thing I saw was the Heart of Kairi vanishing...

**XXXXX**

_Roxas' POV_

"Naminé!" I cried happily as my strength returned and I woke up to see her smiling face above me.

"Sora saved us, Roxas!" Naminé exclaimed and kissed me.

_Sora's POV_

A day had passed since Kairi had been saved, and we were walking on the beach of Destiny Island. Mickey had explained that Sephiroth had stolen my soul to try and forge a Keyblade, but he could not and had returned it to Maleficent to give to me…. Maybe there was good in Maleficent and Sephiroth after all.

The sun was setting, and I realized I was staring at Kairi's beautiful face. I blushed and she laughed, taking my hand in hers. "You gave up your soul for me, Sora… that's the sweetest anything has ever done and ever will do for me…"

I didn't know what to say, finally I got out: "I didn't care about myself, Kairi… I just had to make sure you would live."

Kairi laughed. "You always were like that," she said and kissed me. I pulled her closer to me and didn't let her go for a long time… I could've stayed like that forever.

"Just one thing, though," I grinned. "Don't die again, I don't think Maleficent will help us anymore."

Kairi laughed, and we headed out for our boats.

_Riku's POV_

I watched as Kairi and Sora kissed on the beach. "Finally," I whispered and smiled, heading back for home.

A/N: Well this is my first Kingdom Hearts story so just lemme know what you thought! Thanks. SoR


End file.
